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Links are the seeds that we embed in our content to reap the fruit of high SEO rankings…right? Ten years ago, that might have been the case. But search technology has evolved. Abuse of the linking process to game organic search rankings have led to new technologies by Google and other search companies to create harder-to-cheat algorithms. So if you’re still relying on link quantity over quality, you’re probably getting left behind.
The following are some factors in modern linking strategy that could be affecting your rankings, for better, or for worse.
Link-less Links
While it sounds counter-intuitive, the idea is that Google and Bing don’t need actual links to determine the importance of a page. (Think of it more like “link-less mentions” rather than “link-less links.”) Previously, the number of reputable pages that physically linked to your page was the most important factor in how highly you ranked. Today, the search engines are able to associate mentions of a brand or website without a link, and use that as a kind of “trust signal” to determine page ranks.
Google Penguin is Watching
This isn’t as creepy as it sounds. Once upon a time, buying links from reputable sources was a common practice, and a way to artificially boost organic search ranking. Thanks to Google’s Penguin spam filter that’s now a part of its core algorithm, it could actually worsen your search rankings if done incorrectly. You don’t want to get labeled a “black hat” content provider by cheating. If you’ve got existing pages that are now poorly ranked because of link violations, cleaning up those links can actually give your content a boost.
Change the Way you Engage in Link Campaigning
So now that you know that “spammy” links aren’t getting you anywhere, how do you cultivate reputable links? You can ask, of course, but many marketers are finding that link-begging is getting annoying and are looking for ways around it. Guest blogging is a great way to cultivate organic links by leveraging the power of someone else’s link potential, according to digital marketing influencer Neil Patel, who notes that guest blogging should be a two-way relationship.
“You provide a great article that takes time and effort, and you get the reward of links and traffic back to your site,” he wrote.
Don’t Forget Content Quality
While it should be obvious, one of the most important ways to improve your ranking is to improve the quality of your content. Use more desirable content such as infographics, lists, case studies and humor that might induce readers to share your content more widely. Focus on reader pain points – perhaps even by talking to customers!
As search becomes more sophisticated, so must your methods of link building. Time spent looking for short-cuts might be better focused on ways to improve organic search results organically.
Keyword Performance helps companies to build their brands on a local, national and international level. Our years of experience with keyword optimization has allowed us to obtain long-term search engine placement for keywords and keyword phrases that have pushed many companies to the top of the SERPs. We offer a wide array of services to build your brand and create buzz around any of your company’s services or products.
Interested? We offer free consultations for SEO and would love the opportunity to speak with you.
